Checkout Lane: Don’t get clocked when buying a watch

Monday

Jun 28, 2010 at 12:01 AMJun 28, 2010 at 10:54 AM

Watches can be useful tools or wardrobe accessories. But they don’t need to be expensive for either purpose. Jewelry store owner Dave Page says stainless steel watches are popular because they are more economical than those made with sterling silver or platinum and they are just as good looking.

Lana Lagomarsini

Watches can be useful tools or wardrobe accessories. But they don’t need to be expensive for either purpose.

“Some people like to wear them, some people wear them for a fashion statement, and some people wear them because you need them,” said Adam Jacobs, general manager of Toodie’s Fine Jewelry on Hancock Street in Quincy.

Toodie’s sells watches at all price levels, and the newer watches are automatic, meaning they are powered by the natural movement of the wrist and do not require a battery, Jacobs said.

The most popular brand Toodie’s sells is Tag Heuer, the No. 1 sports watch sold in the world, Jacobs said. While Tag Heuer watches start at around $1,100, there are more affordable options that don’t skimp on quality.

Roger’s also offers Citizen-brand watches that run on solar power and only require users to leave the watch in sunlight to recharge.

“They (Citizen) offer a five-year guarantee, and (because of the guarantee) I do less than 1 percent warranty repair (work),” Bertman said. “We like selling a watch where people can get as much use as they want without having a lot of repairs.”

Dave Page, owner of Hingham Jewelers, said stainless steel watches are popular in his store because they are more economical than watches made with sterling silver or platinum and they are just as good looking.

The Patriot Ledger

Watch care tips:

Keeping your watch dry: Watches are all equipped with a numerical system designed to tell the wearer how wet they can get their watch. A WR30m can be splashed but nothing else; WR50m is OK for light swimming but is not meant for long-term swimming; a WR100m can be used for swimming; and a WR200m is a diver’s watch.

Cleaning: If you wear your watch every day, it is bound to get dirty. You can wash it using a toothbrush, a tiny bit of water and some light soap to remove dust and leftover skin particles.

Fixing scratches: If your watch face is acrylic crystal, you can usually buff out scratches using a specialist polish such as Polywatch or Brasso, and even toothpaste can help fix the scratch. For mineral crystals, a jeweler can easily fix the face of the watch. Sapphire crystals are extremely hard to scratch, but a general rule of thumb is to keep these watches away from diamonds because they can easily scratch the face of the watch.